Professor John Lennox | God DOES exist

Summary

The speaker passionately argues for the compatibility of science and faith, asserting that Christianity fostered the scientific method. They contend that the universe's rationality and the human pursuit of truth are evidence of a divine creator. The speaker also addresses the problem of evil and pain, suggesting that Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection offer hope and justice, contrasting atheism's lack of ultimate justice. They conclude by emphasizing the personal nature of belief in God and the transformative impact of knowing Christ.

Takeaways

• 🙏 The speaker believes in a supernatural God who created and sustains the universe, seeing no contradiction between faith in God and rational scientific inquiry.
• 🧠 The rise of science in the 16th and 17th centuries was motivated by belief in a lawgiver, as scientific laws suggested a rational creator.
• ⚖️ The speaker critiques modern atheists who ask people to choose between God and science, arguing that both can coexist as complementary explanations.
• 🌌 The fine-tuning of the universe is seen as evidence for a creator, as Nobel laureate Arno Penzias suggests the universe's delicate balance points to a supernatural plan.
• 🧮 The speaker is fascinated by the rational intelligibility of the universe, pointing out that mathematical laws fitting nature imply design by an intelligent mind.
• 🧬 Atheism, according to the speaker, leads to doubts about the reliability of human reason since it suggests that human cognitive faculties evolved primarily for survival, not truth.
• 🛠 The speaker contrasts atheism with biblical theism, arguing that a personal and intelligent ultimate reality (God) explains why science works and why humans are rational and moral.
• ❤️ The values of human equality and morality, according to the speaker, are rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition, which views humans as made in the image of God.
• ✝️ The speaker identifies Jesus Christ as central evidence for the existence of God, noting His teachings, historical resurrection, and the peace and forgiveness He brings to believers.
• 🕊 The problem of evil and suffering is acknowledged, but the speaker finds hope in the Christian view that God, through Jesus, has not remained distant from human suffering and promises ultimate justice and resurrection.

Q & A

What does the speaker mean by 'God does not compete with mechanism and law'?

The speaker suggests that belief in God is not in conflict with scientific explanations, such as the laws of nature. God is seen as the creator and sustainer of the universe, and scientific laws describe the mechanisms through which His creation operates. These are not competing explanations but complementary.

How does the speaker respond to the idea that the universe could have created itself from nothing?

The speaker argues that the notion of the universe creating itself from nothing is a logical contradiction. He compares it to the absurdity of claiming that X could create X, asserting that such statements remain nonsensical even when proposed by respected scientists.

Why does the speaker believe that Christianity and science are compatible?

The speaker believes Christianity and science are compatible because the pioneers of science were motivated by their belief in a rational, law-giving God. This belief, he argues, was foundational to their expectation that the universe would operate according to discoverable laws, which drove the scientific inquiry.

What does the speaker say about the effectiveness of mathematics in describing the universe?

The speaker notes that the effectiveness of mathematics in describing the universe is surprising, even to great scientists like Einstein. He suggests that this mathematical intelligibility points to an underlying rational order, which he believes is best explained by the existence of a rational Creator.

What is the speaker’s critique of the atheist position regarding evolution and reason?

The speaker critiques the atheist view that human cognitive faculties evolved primarily for survival rather than truth. He argues that if this is true, then we should doubt the reliability of human reason, including the atheistic belief system itself, leading to an internal contradiction.

How does the speaker link theism to the foundation of morality and human equality?

The speaker argues that concepts such as human equality and morality have their roots in the Judeo-Christian tradition, particularly the belief that all humans are made in God's image. He suggests that secular attempts to base these values without reference to God have led to devastating consequences, as seen in historical atrocities.

What role does the resurrection of Jesus play in the speaker’s argument for theism?

The speaker presents the resurrection of Jesus as a crucial piece of evidence for the truth of Christianity. He argues that if Jesus truly rose from the dead, it confirms the existence of God and offers hope for life beyond death, in contrast to the atheistic belief that death is the end.

How does the speaker address the problem of evil and suffering in relation to his faith?

The speaker acknowledges that the problem of evil and suffering is the hardest challenge for his faith, particularly when faced with personal tragedy. However, he finds hope in the belief that God, through Jesus, has entered into human suffering and that ultimate justice will be provided through the resurrection and final judgment.

What is the significance of the speaker's reference to Jurgen Habermas in the context of ethics and morality?

The speaker cites Jurgen Habermas, a prominent philosopher, to support his argument that modern concepts of human rights, morality, and democracy are direct legacies of the Judeo-Christian ethic. Habermas's statement emphasizes that these ideals have no viable secular alternative, underscoring the enduring influence of religious thought on ethics.

What is the speaker's personal experience with belief in God, and how does he describe its impact on his life?

The speaker shares that his belief in God is not just theoretical but personal. He describes how knowing and trusting God through Jesus Christ has given him a sense of forgiveness, acceptance, and peace, helping him confront both his personal flaws and the suffering he has encountered in life.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Faith and Science: Harmonizing Belief in God and Scientific Inquiry

The speaker discusses their belief in God and how this faith aligns with their understanding of science. They emphasize that many founders of prestigious academic institutions, including Cambridge, saw no conflict between belief in God and rational inquiry. The speaker uses examples, such as Isaac Newton, to highlight how scientific laws do not contradict the idea of a divine creator but rather complement it. They argue that dismissing God in favor of science is as illogical as choosing between Henry Ford and engineering to explain the motor car. The existence of the universe and its laws point to a lawgiver, not a self-creating universe, which the speaker finds nonsensical.

05:00

🧠 Rationality and Belief: Evolution, Truth, and Morality

The speaker delves into the implications of atheism and evolution for human cognition and reason. They reference Alvin Plantinga's argument that if humans are the result of mindless, unguided processes, it undermines the reliability of our cognitive faculties. This would cast doubt on all beliefs, including atheism. In contrast, theism holds that human reason is designed by God, giving it purpose and reliability. The speaker also connects the existence of morality to God, explaining that ethics, like rationality, makes more sense within a theistic framework. They further explore how concepts of human equality, freedom, and democracy are rooted in Judeo-Christian values.

10:01

✨ Jesus Christ: The Ultimate Evidence for God's Existence

The speaker presents Jesus Christ as the central evidence for God's existence, citing his life, teachings, and resurrection. Jesus embodied the values of compassion, healing, and social justice, which the speaker argues are manifestations of divine nature. The historical resurrection of Jesus is positioned as the pivotal event for Christianity, and the speaker refers to legal analyses that reinforce the credibility of the empty tomb. They explain that belief in Jesus provides both intellectual satisfaction and a personal connection with God, offering forgiveness and peace. This relationship allows believers to confront their own flaws and gives them strength to face life's challenges.

Keywords

💡Rational Inquiry

Rational inquiry refers to the process of logical reasoning and critical thinking used to explore and understand the world. In the video, it is highlighted that the founders of the university and notable scientists saw no contradiction between faith in God and the pursuit of rational inquiry. The speaker uses the term to argue that the exploration of science and reason is compatible with belief in a divine creator.

💡Fine-tuning

Fine-tuning is the idea that the constants of nature and the conditions of the universe are precisely set to allow the existence of life. The speaker refers to the fine-tuning of the universe as evidence for a supernatural plan, suggesting that this delicate balance in the universe’s creation demands an explanation beyond naturalistic mechanisms.

💡Lawgiver

The term 'Lawgiver' in the video refers to God as the source of the natural laws that govern the universe. The speaker argues that early scientists believed in law in nature because they believed in a divine Lawgiver. This belief, he suggests, was foundational for the development of modern science.

💡Theism

Theism is the belief in the existence of a personal God who is involved in the universe. The speaker presents various arguments for theism, particularly biblical theism, which posits that the ultimate reality is personal and intelligent. This belief, he asserts, explains both the rational intelligibility of the universe and the moral structure of human life.

💡Atheism

Atheism is the belief that there is no God or divine being. The speaker contrasts theism with atheism throughout the video, arguing that atheism lacks a foundation for reason and morality. He claims that atheism cannot provide hope or justice after death and suggests that its belief in mindless, unguided processes leads to self-contradictions about human cognitive faculties.

💡Intelligibility of the Universe

The intelligibility of the universe refers to the idea that the universe can be understood through rational inquiry and scientific investigation. The speaker points out that this intelligibility is often taken for granted, but it requires an explanation. He suggests that the reason the universe is comprehensible is because it was created by a rational divine mind.

💡Moral Equality

Moral equality is the belief that all human beings possess equal intrinsic value and rights. The speaker attributes the concept of moral equality to the Judaic and Christian traditions, arguing that these beliefs are foundational to ideas of human rights and democracy. He contrasts this view with the idea that without belief in God, it is difficult to ground the inherent value of humans.

💡Resurrection of Jesus

The resurrection of Jesus is a central Christian belief that Jesus Christ rose from the dead after his crucifixion. The speaker refers to this event as the 'crunch issue' for Christianity, arguing that if it is true, it validates the belief in God and the afterlife. The resurrection, he claims, is the cornerstone of Christian faith and provides hope for justice and eternal life.

💡Problem of Evil

The problem of evil refers to the philosophical dilemma of how to reconcile the existence of a good and omnipotent God with the presence of suffering and evil in the world. The speaker acknowledges that this is the hardest problem for him as a Christian, especially when facing personal tragedies like his niece's death. However, he argues that Christianity provides an answer in the form of God's participation in human suffering through Jesus Christ.

💡Cosmology

Cosmology is the scientific study of the origins and development of the universe. In the video, the speaker references cosmologist Allan Sandage, who became a Christian, and argues that cosmology points to a universe created out of nothing, which aligns with theism. The speaker uses this to support the claim that science does not negate belief in God but can actually complement it.

Highlights

The speaker asserts belief in both God and rational inquiry, arguing that there is no contradiction between faith and scientific excellence.

The quote from Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory illustrates that scientific pioneers saw the natural world as a product of divine law.

The rise of science in the 16th and 17th centuries is attributed to the belief in a lawgiver, according to thinkers like Alfred North Whitehead.

The speaker challenges the idea that one must choose between God and science, comparing it to asking whether Henry Ford or engineering explains the motor car.

Isaac Newton’s work in physics is cited as an example of a scientist who saw God as a fundamental explanation for the universe’s existence.

The speaker critiques modern scientists who argue the universe created itself from nothing, calling it an oxymoron.

Astronomer Allan Sandage, who converted to Christianity, is quoted saying that God is the answer to why there is something rather than nothing.

The fine-tuning of the universe is presented as a striking phenomenon that demands explanation, and Arno Penzias is quoted suggesting a supernatural plan behind it.

The speaker contrasts the atheist belief that human reason evolved purely for survival with the theistic view that reason was designed by God to discover truth.

Biblical theism asserts that ultimate reality is personal and intelligent, which explains why science works.

Ethical behavior, like rationality, is argued to be consistent with the belief that humans are made in God’s image.

The speaker quotes Jurgen Habermas, who links modern ideals of freedom and democracy to Judeo-Christian ethics.

The existence of morality, like rationality, is suggested to be unexplained by atheism and naturalism.

The speaker’s Christian faith offers personal comfort and intellectual satisfaction, particularly through the narrative of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.

The resurrection of Jesus is described as the ultimate evidence for Christianity, offering hope for life beyond death and justice in the world.

Transcripts

[Music]

thank you very much ladies and gentlemen

I believe in God I believe in the

supernatural God who created the heavens

and the earth I believe in a God who

holds the heavens of the earth in

existence I believe that are the basis

of rational evidence similar to the

beliefs held by the founders of this

house who gave this University the motto

dominus Illuminati Oh May ah they saw no

contradiction between faith in God and

the utmost excellence in rational

inquiry and if I dare mention my alma

mater of Cambridge in this holy place I

would remind you that on the door of the

Cavendish laboratory in Cambridge were

written the words greater the works of

the Lord

studied by all who delight in them and

as we look at the rise of science of the

16th and 17th centuries Alfred North

Whitehead and many others commented that

men became scientific because they

expected law in nature and they expected

law in nature because they believed in

the lawgiver so ladies and gentlemen I'm

not ashamed of being both the scientists

in the Christian because arguably

Christianity gave them my subject what I

am amazed at is that serious thinkers

today continue to ask us to choose

between God and science that's like

asking people to choose between Henry

Ford and engineering as an explanation

of the motor car when uten discovered

his law of gravity he didn't say I've

got a law I don't need God no he wrote

the principia mathematica arguably the

greatest work in the whole history of

science because he saw that God is not

the same kind of explanation as a

scientific explanation God doesn't

Pete Agency does not compete with

mechanism and law why is there something

rather than nothing

Allan Sandage the brilliant cosmologists

who became a Christian in his fifties

said God is the answer to that question

but people are now so desperate to show

that the universe created itself from

nothing where it seems to me to be an

immediate oxymoron if I say X created Y

I'm assuming the existence of extra

explained the existence of Y if I say X

created X I'm assuming the existence of

extra explain the existence of X which

simply shows that nonsense remains

nonsense even if high-powered scientists

utter it it reminds me a little bit of

GK Chesterton who said it is absurd to

complain that it is unthinkable for an

unthinkable God to make everything out

of nothing and then to pretend that it

is more thinkable that nothing should

turn itself into everything the heavens

declare the glory of God says the

ancient Psalm and we've unraveled a bit

of that seeing the fine-tuning of the

fundamental forces of nature it's

something that's so striking to

scientists at our demands explanation

and it seems to me that Arno Penzias

hitted right

he is the Nobel Prize winner who

discovered the microwave background on

which a lot of the evidence for the Big

Bang is based he said astronomy leads us

to a unique event a universe which was

created out of nothing one with the very

delicate balance needed to provide

exactly the right conditions required to

rebid life and one which has an

underlying one might say supernatural

plan but I want to come to what I think

is one of the fundamental arguments for

theism I take it this house believes in

reason that's why we're all here and as

a scientist I believe that the universe

is rationally intelligible that is

something that has struck some of the

geniuses of science as demanding an

explanation

Einstein said the only incomprehensible

thing about the universe

versus that it's comprehensible and

Vigna talked about the unreasonable

effectiveness of mathematics how is it

that a mathematician thinking in her

head in here can come up with equations

that seem to fit the universe out there

well how is it indeed because the irony

of the Atheist position here is evident

my atheist friends that I have many of

them tell me that the driving force of

evolution which eventually produced our

human cognitive faculties reason

included was not primarily concerned

with truth at all but with survival and

we all know ladies and gentlemen what

has often happened and still happens to

truth when individuals or commercial

enterprises or nations feel themselves

threatened and struggle for survival

leading philosopher Alvin Plantinga if

not today says of atheists are right

that we are the product of mindless

unguided natural processes then they

have given a strong reason to doubt the

reliability of human cognitive faculties

and therefore inevitably to doubt the

validity of any belief that they produce

including their atheism their biology

and their belief in naturalism would

therefore appear to be at war with each

other in a conflict that is nothing at

all to do with God yet my atheist

friends still insist that it is rational

for them to believe that the evolution

of human reason was not directed for the

purpose of discovering truth and yet it

is irrational for me to believe that

human reason was designed and created by

God to enable us to understand and

believe the truth

curious logic by contrast with that

biblical theism asserts that ultimate

reality is personal and intelligent that

the reason science works and this was

the motivating force that drove the

great pioneers of science is that the

universe out there and the human mind in

here that does the science are

ultimately the product of the same

intelligent divine mind human beings are

made we are told in God's image and that

means that science can be done

that makes infinite

more sense to me as a scientist than

atheism does now let me come briefly to

ethics ethical behavior like rational

behavior of course does not itself

require religious belief this is

consistent with the fact that humans are

created in God's image as rational moral

persons but just as I suggest that

rationality cannot be explained without

the existence of God so I dare to

suggest that the existence of morality

cannot be explained either as modern

science sprang from judeo-christian

sources so did the concept of human

equality listen to a theist Jurgen

Habermas arguably one of Germany's

leading intellectuals he said that

universalistic egalitarianism for which

sprang the ideals of freedom and a

collective life and solidarity the

individual morality of conscience human

rights and democracy is the direct

legacy of the Judaic ethic of justice of

the Christian ethic of love this legacy

substantially unchanged has been the

object of continual critical

appropriation reinterpretation to this

day there's no alternative to it

everything else is just idle postmodern

talk and it seems to me he's setting the

core of something important because the

value of a human being on which sets

egalitarianism rests is based not on

what the human being can do but what

she's made off were how she's made in

God's image I never forget speaking when

on one of my many visits to Russia to a

colleague in the Academy of Sciences and

he said you know John we fought we could

abolish God and retain a value for human

beings we found we couldn't and we

murdered millions of them and Alexander

Solzhenitsyn has said if I'm asked why

is it that 60 million of my fellow

countrymen were sacrificed he said the

answer is we have forgotten God science

of course marvelous as it is is limited

even a Nobel Prize winner by aniline

KEK cannot tell why it was made

but aunt Matilda who made it continue

she can reveal it to you but if she

doesn't reveal it to you you'll never

know and that brings me to be my next

evidence it's the same with the universe

we can analyze it magnificently but

ultimately if it has a maker and I

believe it has only he can tell us what

it's all about and he's done so in the

powerful narrative of the Bible in

particular in its analysis of the

problem with humanity not simply in

terms of behavioral breakdown between

people but a vertical breakdown of trust

between us of the Creator the unique

solution to that problem is not simply

in terms of human ethical development

although that's very important but in

terms of something far deeper altogether

the restoration of the fractured

relationship of God through the

salvation he has brought through Jesus

Christ a radical relationship that

empowers us to live ethically from God

and here we reached what for me is the

chief evidence not only for the

existence but the nature of God it is

Jesus Christ

he it was who not only taught the golden

rule but embodied it fed the hungry

healed the sick and suffering and

welcomed society's outcasts brought

honor and respect to the marginalized

and ashamed and he's brought forgiveness

and peace to multi millions around the

world he's able to do this of course

because though he was a man he uniquely

never was only a man but God become

human the central evidence for this

startling claim is of course his

historical resurrection from the dead

that launched Christianity in the world

this is of course ladies and gentlemen a

crunch issue if Jesus rose from the dead

death is not the end and atheism is

false if Jesus did rise did did not rise

from the dead Christianity is false and

I remember at Cambridge as a student

listen

to the brilliant Sir Norman Anderson a

legal expert going through forensic ly

the evidence from his legal perspective

as a brilliant lawyer and he said at the

end of it the empty tomb them of Jesus

forms a veritable rock on which all

rationalistic theories of the

resurrection - themselves in vain

just finally now as I read the Bible I

do not only find intellectual

satisfaction but I find a great deal of

that I sense the voice of God speaking

to me

you say that's intensely personal but

ladies and gentlemen we've been asked

tonight about belief in God

and I want to strongly emphasize that

God is not a theory he's a person and if

the origination of me qua person is a

personal God then the most exciting

thing really is is there a possibility

of getting to know God and so I don't

simply believe there is a God I've come

to know him and trust him and I have

strong reasons for doing so because of

Christ dying and rising again for me and

that is generated in me a sense of

utterly unmerited forgiveness acceptance

and peace that has enabled me to face

the ugly side of my own nature and with

God's help to do something about it but

it's enabled me to face something else

the hardest problem I faced as a

Christian is the problem of evil and

pain my beefs getting a tumor at 22 that

kills her what do I say to my sister and

this is the hardest problem we face but

it seems to me that atheism here has no

answer because by definition atheism

believes that human death is the end so

there is no ultimate hope but you see

ladies and gentlemen we could stay here

till midnight and beyond arguing as has

been done in this university for

centuries what a good god should might

word could if not possibly might just

pretty not

dumb and we get nowhere so it seems to

me there's another question we can ask

and it's this granted that life is

presents us with a double picture we see

some beautiful things we see some ragged

edges we see hurt and pain and we see

joy how can we come to terms with that

and it seems to me here is no simplistic

answer but a window into an answer and

it's this if it is actually true that

Jesus is as I believe him to be the son

of God then we can ask the question what

is God doing on a cross and the answer

comes back at the very least God has not

remained distant from our human

suffering but has become part of it and

the other side of that is this because

Jesus rose from the dead he is going to

be the ultimate judge now here's an

irony because atheism has no ultimate

hope of justice by definition the vast

majority of people in the history of the

world have died without justice and will

die without justice and if death is the

end then of course they have no hope of

jotta but justice but the promise in the

new testament guaranteed by the

resurrection of jesus is that he is to

be the judge in the coming day so ladies

and gentlemen those are some of the

reasons why I believe that God is real

and worthy to be trusted thank you